Which to use
“then” is an adverb and “thon” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #17,149
- “then” frequency rank
- #42,867
- “thon” frequency rank
- 60016
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | then | thon |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Bezug zu einem im Text vorher genannten Zeitpunkt | Zeiteinheit, Dauer von zwölf Monaten; Jahr |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set then and thon apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: then is [ðɛn] while thon is [tʰɔn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - e in “then” becomes o in “thon”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60016, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
then is recorded at frequency rank #17,149, classified as anadv, pronounced [ðɛn]. thon is at rank #42,867, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tʰɔn].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 60016, this pair ranks #802,762 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of then vs thon
Shared letters: hnt. Private to "then": e. Private to "thon": o.
"then" · 4 letters · shape CCVC · "thon" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "then" and "thon" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "then" or "thon"?
Remembering then vs thon
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “then”; for a noun, it's “thon”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “then” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable